After flirting with the possibility, it appears the 11-club Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) has applied to reclassify its league status for the upcoming 2023-24 season.
READ MORE: BC Junior B hockey leagues explore possibility of Junior A reclassification
The VIJHL announced this morning it has applied to BC Hockey for a reclassification from Junior B to Junior A, in a statement released on social media. The announcement comes after extensive meetings’ with the province’s governing body, as well as other junior leagues classified as junior B, including the Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL) and the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL).
“Recent meetings between BC Hockey and the three leagues have assisted to get a better understanding of the issues that need to be addressed and potential course of actions to remedy the concern,” said the statement.
The application to re-designate comes on the heels of the B.C. Hockey League (BCHL) seceding from Hockey Canada on June 1 in an attempt to be a full fledged, top flight independent league. The KIJHL, which operates in the Kootenay region of British Columbia, applied for Junior A status late last month.
If approved, the VIJHL would adopt new operating standards.
“The focus on the three leagues is to provide an avenue or pathway, that our B.C.-born players can choose to follow their hockey aspirations,” the statement says. “We are looking forward to further dialogue with BC hockey on our application and our desire to further the growth of grassroots junior hockey in our province.”